Just Start with Pen Turning
Pen turning is the craft of shaping wooden (or resin) blanks on a small lathe to create handmade writing instruments. It is one of the most accessible entry points into woodturning because the tools are affordable, the projects are quick, and you end up with something genuinely useful. A beginner can produce a finished pen in under an hour, and the results look impressive from day one. That combination of low barrier and high reward is what hooks people. Once you have turned your first pen, you start noticing wood grain everywhere, hunting for exotic blanks, and wondering what a fountain pen kit looks like.
Start here
Pen Turner's Workbook, 3rd Edition Revised and Expanded
Barry Gross · 144 pages · 2012 · Easy
Themes: pen turning fundamentals, tools and materials, step-by-step projects, wood and resin blanks, finishing techniques
The most recommended pen turning book for beginners, and for good reason. Barry Gross walks you through 18 projects with clear, full-color photographs at every step, building your skills from a basic slimline pen all the way to elaborate custom designs.
Why Start Here
Most pen turning resources online are scattered across forum threads and YouTube videos of varying quality. Gross’s workbook solves that problem by giving you a single, structured path from zero experience to confident pen maker. He starts with the fundamentals: choosing a lathe, understanding pen kits, selecting wood blanks, and setting up your workspace safely. Then he moves into projects, each one introducing a new technique or material.
What makes this book stand out is how beginner-friendly the instructions are. Gross does not assume you have any prior woodturning experience. He explains what each tool does, shows you exactly how to hold it, and photographs the results at every stage so you can compare your work to his. If something goes wrong, you can usually spot where you diverged just by flipping back through the photos.
The 3rd edition adds coverage of resin blanks and updated pen kit hardware, keeping the book relevant to the current pen turning landscape. It also includes a section on marketing your pens if you want to turn the hobby into a side business.
What to Expect
At 144 pages, this is a focused, practical guide. The first section covers tools, materials, and safety. The middle chapters present 18 projects in order of increasing complexity. The final section touches on finishing techniques and selling your work.
You can realistically complete your first pen within a few hours of picking up this book, assuming you have access to a lathe and a basic pen kit. Gross includes shopping lists and supplier recommendations so you know exactly what to buy before you begin.
Alternatives
Richard Kleinhenz · 152 pages · 2012 · Moderate
A comprehensive reference that takes you from basic ballpoint pens all the way to complex fountain pens. Richard Kleinhenz packs over 25 projects into this full-color guide, with a strong focus on creative design and custom tooling.
Why Consider This One
Where the Pen Turner’s Workbook focuses on getting you started quickly, Kleinhenz’s book rewards those who want to push deeper into the craft. He covers spiraling jigs, fluted designs, faceted pens, and fountain pen mechanisms with the kind of detail that experienced turners appreciate. His original tool designs are included, giving you the ability to create effects that most pen turners never attempt.
Kleinhenz founded the Pen Makers Guild and organized the first Pen Turners Rendezvous, so the book reflects decades of community knowledge distilled into one volume. The progression from a simple ballpoint to an intricate fountain pen is well paced, with each chapter adding new skills and hardware.
This is not the best first book for a complete beginner, as Kleinhenz assumes some comfort with a lathe and basic turning tools. But for someone who has made a handful of pens and wants to understand what the craft can really become, this is the logical next step.
What to Expect
At 152 pages, the book covers both wood and metal lathes, which broadens the range of what you can create. The project section is substantial, with step-by-step photographs for each design. The final chapters encourage experimentation, pushing you to develop your own signature style rather than simply following templates.
Kip Christensen and Rex Burningham · 176 pages · 1999 · Easy
A classic introduction to pen and pencil turning from two authors with over forty years of combined experience. Kip Christensen and Rex Burningham cover the history, techniques, and projects that define the craft, with clear photography guiding every step.
Why Consider This One
This book has been a staple recommendation in the pen turning community since its original publication. Christensen and Burningham bring an educator’s patience to the subject, explaining not just how to turn a pen but why certain techniques produce better results. The historical context is a bonus that most pen turning books skip entirely, giving you a deeper appreciation for the craft.
The projects cover a solid range: twist pens, click pencils, European-style pens, Americana twist pens, and tapered rollerballs. Each project builds on the previous one, and the authors include variations so you can experiment once you have the basic technique down.
At 176 pages, it is more thorough than most introductory guides. The trade-off is that the book was first published in 1999, so the pen kit hardware shown is older. The turning techniques themselves remain exactly the same, but beginners may need to adapt some of the kit-specific instructions to match current products.
What to Expect
The book opens with background on the craft and a tour of essential tools. The project chapters follow a clear progression from simple to intermediate designs. Christensen and Burningham write with the assumption that you may have no prior lathe experience, making this accessible to true beginners despite its depth.